1 March 2023 1245 words, 5 min. read

Local marketing: definition, advantages, and strategy [Guide 2023]

By Pierre-Nicolas Schwab PhD in marketing, director of IntoTheMinds
Local marketing compiles a whole set of marketing campaigns on a limited geographical territory. It is based on the needs of local customers and seeks only one thing: to satisfy them! In this article, we will review the exact definition […]

Local marketing compiles a whole set of marketing campaigns on a limited geographical territory. It is based on the needs of local customers and seeks only one thing: to satisfy them! In this article, we will review the exact definition of this concept before detailing its 3 main benefits. Finally, we will explore 3 strategies for local marketing: use digital to increase your brand awareness. But first, we’ve compiled 5 key figures better to understand the stakes behind this type of marketing.

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Summary


Local marketing: 5 key statistics

  • 21.3% of local searches (on smartphones) drive users to buy something in a physical sales outlet
  • 97% of customers go through Google to find local retailers.
  • 60% of Google searches are done from a cell phone. Go for a mobile-first design in your web design strategy!
  • On Google, 30% of mobile searches contain a location.
  • 42% of millennials conducting local searches trip to the sales outlet.

What is Local Marketing?

Local marketing deals with promoting a company in a given geographical region. This process brings together various communication tactics that highlight the activities of a physical sales outlet. Among the latter, we find the use of advertising spaces or the techniques of local natural referencing.

Thus, it is a very effective mechanism for the structures that would like to constitute an intrinsically local clientele. Also, this marketing strategy is suitable for any offer that is difficult to deliver over lengthy distances (such as agri-food structures).


Local marketing aims to attract and retain local customers who are interested in your offer.


Local Marketing advantages


3 advantages of local marketing

Local marketing is accessible to everyone! It is a competitive advantage like no other for small and medium-sized companies. Below we explain 3 reasons why we think so:

  • its benefits for targeting
  • its propensity to retain satisfied customers
  • the unparalleled benefits it proposes

It improves your target marketing

First, brands use local marketing to understand better the customer base comprising their immediate geographical area. Indeed, such marketing campaigns grant essential information about their prospect and customer base. Therefore, this process allows companies to refine their target marketing! Therefore, we consider that it perfectly complements other marketing strategies and indicators, such as:

  • Data marketing: its contribution to data simplifies decision-making within companies
  • Account-based marketing: an ideal approach to personalize its communication campaigns and increase its customer conversion rate
  • Customer Lifetime Value: this measure of customer value provides key insights into which consumers are most prolific for brands

In short, this strategy simplifies customer conversion by helping to personalize marketing campaigns.



Local marketing builds customer loyalty

Now that we have seen the impact of local marketing on targeting and conversion let’s focus on customer loyalty. This strategy uses relationship marketing techniques to its advantage. Social networks are still one of the best tools for customer loyalty. Indeed, they allow you to interact and create strong links with the members of your community. By doing so, you will better understand the buying motivations of your customers. This way, you will be able to satisfy their latent needs better!

To go further in digital techniques, let’s talk about email marketing. As a reminder, email marketing simplifies the sending of targeted and personalized messages to your customers. In the context of local marketing, don’t hesitate to include references and very local offers to encourage purchases.


Local marketing strengthens the loyalty of your current customers through an enhanced customer experience.



Its high return on investment

Finally, local marketing campaigns are inexpensive. This means they fit perfectly into the budget of even the most modest brands. But that’s not all: these campaigns are very prolific! Indeed, their impact is such that it boosts your customers’ engagement rate, who will be more likely to come back for your services.

And let’s remember the positive effects of word-of-mouth on brand awareness. Through local marketing initiatives, customers feel closer to their favorite brands. Then it’s only a matter of time before they recommend your products/services to their friends and family. This is called advocacy marketing. As a result, your prospect database swells while your satisfied customer base grows stronger.


With local marketing, you spend little, but you get a lot.


local marketing strategic tips


3 strategic tips for good local marketing

Now that we know the definition and main advantages of local marketing let’s move on to strategic choices. Below we propose three of them. All of them revolve around digital marketing and aim to increase digital awareness and sales outlet traffic:

  • Use SEO
  • Update your My Business file
  • Produce original content

Optimize your natural referencing

It’s only possible to get into local marketing by looking at SEO. In other words, this discipline of inbound marketing consists of propelling your presence on search engines. This is called Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Think of SEO as a way to build your digital storefront and assert your presence on Google, the gateway for online users. Thanks to this practice, attract more website traffic and increase your awareness online! The video below summarizes the basics of this marketing strategy.

We have made inbound marketing one of our specialties!


Complete and update your Google My Business listing

Let’s stay on the subject of an online presence. Let’s talk about the benefits of My Business on your local marketing practices. This business application comes from Google. It is a service that allows companies to fill in basic information about their physical sales outlet. Here is the kind of information structures that can share with the general public:

  • geographic location
  • phone number
  • opening hours
  • website
  • photographs/videos
  • and so on.

In addition, this digital identity card contains user ratings and reviews. The challenge for companies is to take care of their brand image online. Indeed, the best-rated retailers on My Business go up in Google’s esteem: they have a considerable competitive advantage!

Google My Business is considered one of the best local marketing strategies. It is very accessible, effective, and differentiating (source: Shutterstock)


Use content marketing to attract customers

Third and last major local marketing strategy: is content marketing. But not just any content, and especially not just any time! Indeed, we are talking about a long-term strategy based on regular, varied, and multi-channel publications. What counts here is to be original and human to reach your local customers. Even the smallest structures can use this technique to develop their customer base! They know their customers well and know exactly how to please them.

For example, this content creation can revolve around very local references to speak to your customers. Also, it is possible to couple content and promotions! In the case of a bar restaurant, why not propose a discount for each user commenting on an Instagram post? In short, the most creative entrepreneurs will know how to use this tactic to improve their local presence!

local marketing sources


Sources

  • Bleu, N. (2023). 17+ Important Local SEO Statistics (2023 Data). Startup Bonsai.
  • Lawson, M. (2018). Finding the right time: How leading marketers redefine moments of assistance. Think with Google.
  • ReviewTrackers. (2021). Local SEO Statistics and Trends: a 2022 Report by ReviewTrackers.
  • Safari Digital. (2020). 18 Local SEO Statistics That Matter in 2023.
  • Verzhbitskaia, Z. (2023). How to Rank on Google Maps: A Beginner’s Guide. SEO PowerSuite.


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